When
by xoxoxo
Summary: Due to a specific event, Jim suddenly has a lot of time to reminisce and contemplate.
1. Chapter 1

_**When**_

Jim sits perfectly still and tries to remember the exact moment. He thinks that if he closes his eyes it might appear to him.

Because it wasn't as if she walked into the office and instantly he knew. It took time, it happened slowly. There were a thousand little things that when put together added up to …this.

He tries to slow his heartbeat but it's nearly hopeless. He can hardly breathe without her. He can barely focus knowing that he's out here and she's in there and he can't even be there to help her.

They've told him it's better if he just sits tight and waits.

Better for whom exactly?

If he has to stay away he at least wants to remember a better time, a happier time, a time when things were much simpler.

He wants to remember when exactly he knew she was the one.

xoxoxoxoxo

_Jim held the door open for her as she walked to the break room. _

_"How's your first day treating you?" He asked with a smile._

_Pam blushed a bit before she sat down at the table and ripped the lid off her yogurt. His name was…Jim she fought to remember. Sales. _

_He'd been the first to introduce himself to her again after Michael had ushered her around the office in a frenzy. Even if she wasn't looking she thought he was kinda cute, if you went for those gangly, lanky types with mussed up hair. She wondered then if he was single. Her friend Sue had just recently broke up with her boyfriend…_

_God. Pam. Leave the poor guy alone. She scolded herself as she smiled back at him. _

_She continued stirring as she replied. "Not too bad. But tell me something." She patted the seat beside her. _

_Jim grabbed his brown bag from the fridge and settled in next to her._

_She leaned close and whispered. "Is he always like that?"_

_"Who? Michael?" Jim cast his eyes downward and smiled busying himself with setting up his lunch. He cracked open a grape soda and drank deeply. "Hate to break it to you but yeah. Pretty much."_

_"No. The other guy. Dwight, was it? I mean. Is he for real?" She blinked at him, holding her yogurt in her left hand and continuing to stir with her right._

_It was then he noticed the faint glint of a stone on her left ring finger. Instantly he felt a pang that he couldn't quite place. Had he been concentrating more he might have realized that it felt vaguely like disappointment._

_That's right. He remembered suddenly. She's with that warehouse guy, Roy what'shisname._

_He tried to picture them together for a moment and it seemed an unlikely pairing as far as he was concerned. But who was he to judge?_

_His gaze moved back over to Pam and he tried to remember her question. Oh yeah. Dwight. _

_"Unfortunately, yes. Dwight is **definitely** for real. Real annoying, real bizarre, really frightening actually."_

_"How can you possibly stand sitting right there next to him day after day?" She asked her voice full of awe and tinged with horror._

_"Sheer ingenuity." Jim replied. "He's like a toy. You wind him up and just sit back and watch. It's really quite fascinating."_

_Pam shook her head, still not quite understanding how he could cope. She went to take a taste of her yogurt. She felt his eyes on her and gave him a quizzical look._

_"What?"_

_"Fruit on the bottom." He remarked._

_"Yes?" She looked at him. What was he getting at?_

_He shrugged and took another bite of his sandwich. "It's just that it seems like a lot of trouble, having to you know, hunt for the good stuff. Like wouldn't it be easier if they just flavored the yogurt as a whole, spread the fruit through it evenly instead of making you dig?"_

_Was he serious? He smiled and she giggled, realizing he was teasing. "I guess."_

_He was **really** funny. And nice. No matter what weirdos lurked outside the door all of the sudden she felt for sure she could cope as long as Jim was out there with her. _

_She took another spoonful and sighed. "But it would lose something I think. You know the good stuff is always hard to find. It's part of what makes it good."_

_"True enough." He polished off the rest of his sandwich and crumbled his napkin, throwing it back in the paper bag._

_Pam scraped at the bottom of her yogurt container.   
_

_"Got all the good stuff?" He asked with a grin._

_"Yes." She sighed as she licked the back of the spoon. _

_His collar felt slightly tighter as he watched her. "So. Pam. Tell me something. Want to see firsthand how to handle Dwight?" He asked with a conspirator's smile. _

_Her eyes sparkled and she bounced on her heels. She gave him a grin as she replied. "If I'm expected to survive here, absolutely."_

_"Then let's go." He smiled widely and followed her out the door. _

xoxoxoxoxo

She had fallen right in step with him, he remembered. She didn't even need much guidance and that first day she even gave him a suggestion. He remembered how she whispered in his ear and smiled shyly as she did, as if she was afraid he'd shoot her down.

He wouldn't even think of it. Her idea had been brilliant and Dwight was none the wiser, and that's how she became his partner in crime.

What that it? Was that when he'd known? He shook his head and dismissed the thought. No. Not then. He hadn't really been thinking of her that way at all at first. She was engaged and he wasn't a guy who would mess with that, whether he knew the guy well or not.

He stares at his hands, the ring on his own finger glinting in the fading sunlight. He looks up and then across the room at her mother, giving her a weak smile.

But somehow, someway that had all changed. In order to keep himself sane while he agonizes and waits it suddenly becomes really important to him to remember just when.


	2. Chapter 2

_**Dinner for Two**_

They keep bringing him things to read and to sign. He can't focus. As soon as he attempts to write his name his vision tends to get blurry.

His mother moves to sit beside him and places a hand on his arm.

Suddenly the trembling in his hands abates a bit. She can see the trouble he's having and wants to help as only a mother could.

It's difficult but he knows he needs to be strong for her. If he can't go in there and hold Pam's hand he knew to survive this he'd need to be able to do _something_.

"Want me to read it for you Jimmy?" She whispers in his ear.

"No, Mom. Thanks. I…" His fingers hold the pen tightly. "I think I know what it says…"

"It's going to be OK." She says softly, squeezing his elbow. "This is a good hospital, sweetie. They're going to take really good care of her."

"I know." He replies, only half believing it. "She's got good doctors. I know…"

They're going to take really good care of her. He thinks again. As if anyone could take better care of her than he could…

xoxoxoxoxoxoxo

_Pam couldn't believe she was doing this here. Crying while she was at work. So stupid. So dumb. _

_So unprofessional._

_Though it was true she almost laughed at that last thought. As if professionalism actually mattered here._

_She glanced at her watch, hoping, praying that everyone was gone for the day. She was so certain she'd be alone she'd been startled to see Jim still at his desk._

_Ducking her head, she tried to slip past him._

_"Hey." He called out as she dug under her desk for her purse. _

_"What are you still doing here?" She asked, her voice muffled as she was still slightly concealed._

_Jim sighed and ran a hand over his face. "I've got an order that got completely screwed up in the warehouse. It's taken me forever to sort it out."_

_"Probably Roy's fault." She muttered, her hair flying wildly around her face, her cheeks pink as she stood up straight._

_"I'm sorry?" Jim gave her a confused look._

_"No. I'm sorry." She let out a breath, exasperated. "It's just…"_

_He continued to stare at her, waiting for her to finish. Her eyes were red and he was pretty sure she'd been crying._

_He was surprised to realize that the thought of her crying made him almost angry._

_"You don't want to hear it." She shook her head at him._

_"If you want to talk about it, I'll hear it." Jim replied, his face full of concern. He clicked the light on his desk off and stood, swinging his bag over his shoulder._

_She watched him closely. For someone so tall he was also so graceful, in an unmistakeably manly sort of way. _

_He walked closer to the door and she felt a flush rising to her cheeks. She shook her head to rid herself of the thought._

_"Roy tends to forget things." She began, sinking into her chair. "I mean, anything that's sort of important to me. Quiz him on the NFL schedule and he can recite it by heart." She added bitterly._

_She looked up at him and her face filled with shame. "Seriously, Jim. You don't need to hear this."_

_"Do you **want **to talk about it?" He asked, his eyebrows rising a bit, as if to punctuate the question._

_"Kind of." She admitted. She really thought she'd feel better if she could get it all out in the open._

_"Then spill it Beesly." He replied, leaning across her desk. _

_She blushed at the sound of his voice calling her by her last name. _

_She took a deep breath and spoke tentatively. "It's our anniversary. And I want you to know that I'm not one of those girls. One of those - it's been four weeks since you first kissed me, two months since we first said I love you, ten months since you first slept over type of girls." She says with genuine disgust._

_"I'm happy to hear it. Otherwise I don't think we could continue with this conversation." He chuckled at her._

_His response barely registered. _

_She stood and blew out a breath. She bowed her head stared at her shoes. "It's been a year since we got engaged and we haven't set a date and I thought maybe, he'd remember and tonight we would. And it's just that I know that when I remind him he'll be all apologetic and do something to make it up to me and I don't want that. I just want him to remember in the first place." _

_Jim bit his bottom lip. He had enough trouble dealing with the women in his own life, he certainly didn't pretend to fully understand them. But he saw her point and had learned enough about Pam to know besides the "date setting" all she probably expected was a card and a small bouquet of flowers. Maybe a dinner out. He wondered Roy had trouble making even that little bit of an effort. _

_But it wasn't his place, he knew. "So. What are you going to do now?" He asked._

_"Call a cab." She answered as she reached for the phone._

_"I'm sorry. What?" He blinked at her._

_She looked up at him sheepishly. "I told Roy I was meeting friends, because he'd obviously forgotten and I was angry. But the truth is my friends will just take this as an opportunity to give me pitying looks and say 'I told you so' when they ask what happened and I tell them he's out with the guys.'" She looked up at Jim, embarrassed. _

_"I'm sorry. I'm giving you the impression that this happens a lot. It doesn't." She hesitates slightly on the word 'doesn't' and hopes he doesn't pick up on the fact that what she really means is that it happens more often than she cares to admit._

_She sighed. "He really is sweet, overall. He's just so…infuriating sometimes."_

_He didn't know exactly how to respond to that so he simply said. "OK…"_

_She reached for the phone again. "And so I don't have a ride. So I'll just call a cab. It's nothing…"_

_He shook his head and jingled the keys in his hand. "Pam. Don't be silly, let me drive you home."_

_She paused in her dialling and held the phone away from her ear. "Really?"_

_"Sure." He nodded. They took a few steps towards the door as he asked casually, "Hey. Did you want to go get something to eat?"_

_As the words were out of his mouth he wished he could take them back. Probably not a good idea to suggest going out to eat with someone who was engaged. _

_He tried to regain his composure. _

_She knotted the belt on her coat and looked at him, taken aback._

_He swallowed and wiped his hands on his hips. "I mean…do you have any errands to run? Want to pick up some take out? Need me to take you anywhere on the way?"_

_She tilted her head at him and he tried to guess what she was thinking. _

_How sweet. Pam thought with a sigh, shaking her head. To think she actually thought for a second he was asking her out. It wasn't surprising that she'd read the whole situation wrong. Pretty much the first and last person to ever ask her out was…Roy. _

_It was no wonder she'd jumped to conclusions. She'd had very limited experience. _

_"No. I'm good. That's alright." She protested weakly. She should have known better. She already knew Jim simply thought of her as a friend._

_"Not even a drive through?" He gave her a look and decided not to take no for an answer. For some odd reason the image of her alone, making dinner for herself while Roy was out partying is too much for him to bear. _

_He knocked his arm gently against hers. "C'mon. I know this place…"_

_"Oh do you?" She giggled and followed behind him._

_He grinned and his hand briefly brushed across her back. "They've got absolutely amazing chicken. They've got this top secret recipe…with eleven herbs…and various spices. Or so I hear…"_

_"Oh really?" She laughed louder thinking that it actually would be nice not to have to cook when she got home, even if all she winds up with is fast food chicken. Jim had somehow managed to make it sound almost gourmet._

_"Sounds delicious." She smiled up at him and he was struck by the fact that for the first time that day he felt like he'd finally accomplished something._

xoxoxoxoxoxoxo

Jim leaned back and rested his head on the couch and as he did he thought of her smile. He loved the way it lit up her whole face. He knew, hands down, she had the most amazing smile in the world.

Then he remembered how she'd been smiling like crazy when they'd first gotten here today.

His heart fell to his stomach. Just the mere thought of never seeing that smile again…

_Don't - Jim. Just…don't._ Stop it now. It'll all be OK. She'll be fine. She's got good doctors, they know what they're doing. They'll take good care of her. Such good care of her that she'll laugh when this is all over. You'll be sitting next to each other in rocking chairs on the porch when you're ninety thinking back to today and wondering what all the fuss was about.

He closes his eyes but doesn't dare sleep. He needs another cup of coffee but lacks the energy to move.

They'll take good care of her. He tries to reassure himself again.

He knows that if given another chance he'd take even **_better_** care of her.

He always had. He always would.

For as long as long as they let him…


	3. Chapter 3

_A/N: I'll have you know I entered the exact same things and the results are listed below. For when Jim played. Not Pam. _

_I fabricated Pam's results to suit my needs. I was too afraid I'd see "You will marry Roy." LOL!_

_**Baby Steps**_

She was simply the most beautiful thing he'd ever seen.

As Jim stared through the glass he couldn't believe it. She was tiny, maybe a bit tinier than she should be but absolutely beautiful nonetheless.

They'd let him hold her, but only for a few minutes. Still it had been long enough for him to determine that she had ten teensy fingers and ten miniature toes. She also had a shock of light brown hair on her head and what looked to be her mother's nose.

Though his heart overflowed just gazing at her, his thoughts instantly turned to Pam.

She was still in there. They said it was going well and almost over but he wouldn't be satisfied until he got to see her with his own two eyes.

As he watched his daughter he was trying to remember what name they'd decided on. Was it Emma or Emily? Kathryn or Caitlin? Or wait. Did he give in during the whole Madison vs. Madeleine debacle?

He knew right now any name she wanted to choose was just fine with him. It was just that he couldn't remember exactly what she'd wanted, and didn't want to confirm anything without discussing with Pam first.

He pressed his hand against the glass as if to reach the other side. His heart ached as he repeated the words in his mind.

Discussing with Pam…

One of his favorite things in the world to do was discuss things with Pam…

xoxoxoxoxoxo

_"What **are** you doing?" He asked, squinting his eyes at her._

_"Oh my God Jim. Look!" She turned her monitor so he could see her screen clearly. Her eyes were wide and she was undeniably giddy. "It's **MASH**! You can play it online!"_

_He bit his lip and shrugged. He had no idea what she was trying to show him._

_"Did you not play this when you when you were little?" She looked at him at disbelief. "You used to have to hand write it and count. You'd fill in the blanks and then eliminate until you'd seen your future. _

_"Who you'll marry, where you'll live, what kind of car you'll drive…" She stared at him again. "Have you really never played this before?" _

_"Not that I recall." Jim laughed. She looked so shocked he shook his head at her. "Pam. C'mon. **Pretty** sure I wasn't ever a twelve year old girl."_

_"Oh - well. Now's your chance. You **totally** have to. Wait. Hold on…" She bounced a bit in her seat and turned, her hands poised over the keyboard. "Give me the names of five girls you are not related to." _

_"Um. OK." He glanced around the office. "I'll go with, you, Phyllis, Kelly, Meredith and Angela." _

_Pam giggled. "OK. Now five types of cars."_

_He knelt next to her chair, leaning on the armrest. "What do you mean? Like make andmodel names or types?"_

_"Either." She shrugged, not sure she'd know the difference._

_He thought for a moment and then offered. "BMW, the ever popular Sebring, a minivan - like Meredith's, probably some sort of SUV and the ultimate in luxury, the Toyota Corolla."_

_"Nice." She smiled. "Five colors."_

_Without hesitation he rattled off. "Titanium White, Shocking Pink, Lunar Blue, Electric Yellow and Ecru."_

_She paused in her typing and gazed at him open-mouthed. "You, my friend have been selling paper waaay too long."_

_He elbowed her in the ribs gently. "Quit the commentary Beesly and type."_

_She giggled again and entered his choices. "How many kids would you want to have?"_

_He blinked. Good question. "I've um, never really thought about it."_

_She sighed and looked wistful for a moment. "I'd never have less than two. I think it's always nice to have a sibling."_

_He thought so too, now that he had occasion to think about it. "I agree. So let's go with 2, 4, 6, 8 and 10."_

_"Ten? Geez. God bless the mother of your children Jim Halpert." Pam commented as she typed._

_His heart raced a little as she spoke and he thought he saw a blush fill her cheeks. She shook back her hair and took a deep breath._

_"OK. Five places to live." She prompted next._

_"Scranton, Hawaii. And if we're talking Hawaii, better include Alaska. Don't want to leave out the 50th state. Australia would be cool too and maybe…" He stretched and scratched the back of his neck. "What the hell. Antarctica."_

_"The game is Mansion, Apartment, Shack, House, Jim." She said, exasperated. "It does not include igloos." She moved to finish filling out the online form. "OK. Five professions you'd like to have."_

_"Wow. OK. Let's see. I'm going to stick with paper salesman, sadly, oh - and a teacher, hmmm…" He paused. It wasn't often that he really thought about what else he'd like to do._

_Pam watched his face as he talked. She'd never met anyone quite so animated. His expressions were priceless. He always looked like he'd put a lot of thought into anything he'd said._

_The sound of his voice brought her back. "Oh! One of those people who tests video games, totally cool job. A chef, perhaps?" He said, his eyes widening. _

_She gave him a grin and a nod. _

_"And…movie critic." He finished._

_She entered the data with lightning speed. "OK. All I need now is a number."_

_He looked at her as if to say, "Isn't it obvious?"_

_Instead he said, his voice low and husky. "Well. C'mon now. In honor of Kevin I'd have to pick…"_

_"Oh fine." She said in a huff as she her fingers typed a 6 and a 9 in the box at the bottom of the page. Then, with much ceremony, she hit go._

_Their eyes were glued to the screen as the cursor flew, blocking out items one by one. _

_A small and totally unexpected pang hit Pam's stomach as she watched her own name go gray._

_The action on the screen made them both dizzy yet they were still fascinated, and anxious, since it seemed to be taking forever._

_"This is taking so long. Jim. Why couldn't you be less of a perve and pick a number like 10 or something?" She blew out a breath. _

_A few long moments later the results were in. Pam began to laugh uncontrollably. "Oh my God. You and…Angela. Living in an apartment with, HA! **Six** children."_

_"How very Brady Bunch." He laughed back at her. "And probably very crowded."_

_"Oh yes. Very." She turned back to the screen. "Especially when you factor in her six cats. But, on the upside, you will be a video game tester which, as you mentioned, is a totally cool job." _

_She gave him a pitying look as she continued. "Alas, you will still driving that ultra hip Corolla, but you've traded it in for a white one, which, might be a little difficult to spot while you drive it around Antarctica."_

_He sighed. "Wow. So **that's** my future, huh Beesly?"_

_"According to highly accurate mathematical data…and the internet, I'm afraid so." She said and tried to bite back her laughter. _

_"Well. That was fun but..." He stood and laughed. "I'd better get back to work so I can stock some money away for my kids' college fund."_

_"Six kids? Really?" He shook his head and made his way back to his desk. _

_As she watched him go, Pam turned back to the screen, clearing out the fields and starting over._

_Her fingers moved as if they had a will of their own..._

_Roy, Jim…_

xoxoxoxoxoxo

As he walked back towards the waiting room he remembered their wedding day and in particular her gift to him. Housed in a gilded frame, on a pristine sheet of Titanium White she'd drawn a colorful and intricate illustration as a border to compliment the text in the center.

She'd laughed when she'd told him she had saved her results from that day all those years before.

You will live in **House**.  
You will drive a **Silver** **SUV**.  
You will marry **Jim **and have **2** kids.  
You will be an **Illustrator **in **Pennsylvania.**

Around the perimeter were tiny scenes of the two of them. One had them standing next to a car in the driveway of a small cozy house. In another Pam drew herself wearing an artist's smock and a beret, holding a dripping paintbrush in her hand. A third had each of them holding the hand of a small child; a boy on one side, a girl on the other.

He couldn't believe it himself, but impossibly, almost every thing on her little list had come to pass. And he never had forgotten his own results either. They came in handy. He could never resist throwing out to her in the midst of an argument that if she wasn't careful he'd trade her in for Angela.

It never failed to make her laugh, and he knew when she laughed it was a sign that she was halfway to giving in.

His heart broke as he remembered again the part about the kids. The car and the house were easy. The two kids? Well. Now they had their precious little girl but the boy? That was something he didn't think they'd quite be able to accomplish.

If just the one was proving to be this much trouble he couldn't see it happening. Once Pam pulled through, he couldn't possibly imagine going through it all again.


	4. Chapter 4

_**Conflict Resolution **_

Jim held his breath as he pushed the door open. When he finally got a glimpse of her face he let it out in a singular whoosh.

She was lying there, pale and motionless. Just the sight of her scared him to death. Without hesitation he was at her side, grasping for her hand. He was barely there for more than thirty seconds when he heard a voice behind him.

"Who let you in here?" One of the nurses called out from the doorway.

Her words didn't even register. "Can she hear me?" He asked, worriedly.

She stood beside him and laughed softly. "No. Probably not. But don't let that stop you."

He gave Pam's hand a squeeze, bending down and gently pressing a kiss to her temple. "I love you. You're amazing..." He whispered and jumped back a bit.

There were hands on his arms, gripping tightly. Someone was insistently pushing him away from her.

"Wait. What are you doing?" His heart stopped beating as dug in his heels.

It wasn't that she wasn't sympathetic, but he really couldn't stay. "I'm sorry. You can't be in here." The nurse said softly." Once we're sure she's stable we'll move her to her own room. It won't be too much longer. I promise."

"B-b-but…" He stammered.

She smiled at him again. He was young enough to be her grandson but with those eyes she was not so sure he couldn't charm her enough to get her to let him stay. "You really need to go." She ordered gently.

"OK." He sighed, tripping over his own feet as she ushered him to the door.

He stood outside, his hand itching to rip the door back open but he saw the nurse hovering over her. He knew if he tried he'd just get thrown out again.

In a way, seeing her was worse. His heart continued to ache. His eyes began to sting. It was a feeling that he didn't like in the least.

As he stood alone in the hallway he could remember another time that he'd felt this way. When he'd felt more alone than he ever had in his life. That time had had a happy ending.

He hoped this would be the same…

xoxoxoxoxoxo

_Somehow they had found themselves alone in the office. It was late and it was his third week back in Scranton. _

_Since he'd come back they were usually much more careful. They rarely put themselves in this situation, of having to acknowledge each other's presence. But oddly, something about tonight made each of them reluctant to head home to an empty house. Both of them were trying to avoid having to spend the night alone. _

_"You hate me now. Don't you?" She'd whispered as he moved past her desk. _

_"No." He said softly, as he stopped in his tracks hanging his head a bit. "I could never hate you..." _

_She talked right over him. "Sure you do. You moved two hours away because you couldn't stand the sight of me…" _

_"No. I couldn't stand the sight of **you** marrying **him**." His head snapped up, met her eyes. "There's a difference, Pam." _

_"I didn't marry him." She said weakly. _

_"Yeah, well." His back stiffened and he shook his head at her. "Took you long enough to let me know that." _

_"She's very pretty." Pam said then, obviously referencing the girl who'd recently come to go to lunch with him. She looked up at Jim, wringing her hands. "You two look like you're happy." _

_Happy? No. He wasn't happy. _

_"She's…" Jim began to explain and then stopped. _

_"What?" It wasn't just a question, he knew. The desperation was clear in her voice. _

_He was tired of not saying exactly what was on his mind. He'd been guilty of playing word games, they both had, and it'd gotten them exactly nowhere. _

_He stared at her until she met his gaze. His voice was low and deep when he answered. _

_"She's not you." _

_Her eyes flew wide and locked with his. Tears spilled down and slid over her cheeks as she moved away from her chair and towards him on the other side. _

_"Jim." She sobbed. _

_He stepped back, stuffed his hands in his pockets. He knew if he touched her it would all be over. _

_"I can't do this Pam." He promised her. "I won't. I tried to get away and they sent me back here but I can't pretend nothing has happened. I'm not going to act like it's all like it used to be." _

_She shook her head vehemently and implored him through her tears. "I don't want you to." _

_"I'm not going to joke around and play games and pretend I don't want you. I do and it's…" He had thought nothing could be worse that it already was, but seeing her crying was killing him. _

_He pressed on, determined this time to say it all. He had a feeling if he could just say it, just get it out there this time – it just might be different. _

_"Pam. You either have to let me go, or tell me I'm not insane. Because I can't do this in-between thing anymore." He knew he wasn't making the situation any better but he couldn't help himself. "Tell me what you want me to do. But you have to fix this. **You **need to decide." _

_"I know what I want." She spoke so softly he could barely hear her. "But I'm..." _

_"Stop being scared." He took a tentative step towards her. He ran a hand over her cheek as he whispered. "C'mon. What are you doing? Why are you doing this? Look. It's just me…" _

_"It's just **you**? Are you kidding? How can you say that like it's no big deal?" She swiped at her eyes and laughed bitterly. "If it doesn't work out… I can't. I can't lose you Jim." _

_He had had a feeling this was what was holding her up, but he wasn't going to give in to her this time. He stood his ground. "Pam. Face it. You've already lost me. And what do you mean - if it doesn't work out? Why wouldn't it?"_

_She stared at him, her mouth moving to form words but there was no sound. He could tell she was struggling but he wasn't giving in._

_He bent his head and whispered. "It's not too late though. I'll come back. You just need to say it." _

_She pushed through her fear, even though it cost her dearly. "You're…just…" _

_"What?" He prodded again. God. It was like pulling teeth. If this ended the way he wanted it to he was going to have to work on that. He gaze fell on her mouth and he realized she was talking again. _

_"You're too important." She finally managed. She sighed and inched closer, her breathing uneven. _

_"I'm so important to you you'd rather I moved on than even try to see where this takes us?" He took a deep breath; let his arms close around her. "That makes no sense. You know that right?" _

_She knew he was right and almost laughed, but she was too busy dealing with the fact that she'd actually made a move and the world hadn't ended. _

_"You need to promise me…" She whispered, sinking against him, her hands threading through his hair. _

_"Anything." He drew her closer and smiled as her face tilted up towards his. _

_"Promise you'll still be my friend." Her voice quivered a bit. _

_It made him laugh, the way she said it. She sounded so small all of the sudden, like a little girl. He couldn't really believe this was the cause of all their problems. _

_Actually, now that it seemed things were working out, he realized he should have guessed that this is what would make her drag her feet. It hadn't even occurred to him at first. _

_He'd been so caught up with his own hurt feelings. He'd been devastated by the fact that she hadn't reached out to him at all once Roy was out of the picture. _

_But looking at her now, being so close, it didn't seem to matter anymore. Nothing did - just...this._

_"Of course." He agreed without hesitation. _

_She shook him a bit, smiled softly. "I mean it. Promise I can still joke around with you, and that we can still pull pranks of Dwight, and that you won't start to get all sappy and sentimental on me." _

_"Do you know me at all? What are you thinking?" He gave her an exasperated look. _

_She realized she might be shooting herself in the foot and rushed to clarify. "OK. Wait. You can get a little sentimental and sappy sometimes." _

_"Like - on national holidays?" He chuckled back at her. _

_She smiled widely and he melted. "Exactly." _

_His lips moved to nuzzle her neck as he replied. "OK. I'll agree." _

"_See - I'm thinking that I don't want everything to change." She buried her face in the crook of his shoulder, her voice muffled. "Just some things." _

_He pulled back and laughed at her. "I should hope so." _

"_Jim." She laughed back and smacked him on the arm. _

_His heart light for the first time in months Jim bent his head to kiss her. Her breath hitched and her eyes fluttered closed. He was mere centimeters away when he pulled back sharply. _

"_You know what?" He whispered so close she could feel them on her lips. _

"_What?" She replied, sounding more like a plea than a question. _

"_Let's not…" He stepped back, linked his hand with hers. "…do this here." _

_She swayed on her feet and blinked at him in disappointment and disbelief. "Why not?" _

"_**Not **exactly a romantic spot." He shrugged, tugging her towards the door. _

"_Seemed romantic enough the last time." She countered as she pulled him back dragging him to her desk so she could grab her purse. _

_His eyebrows rose as he replied. "We know how well last time worked out. Let's just start with a clean slate." _

_He tugged her hand again and she dutifully followed behind. _

_Finally making a choice made her positively giddy. And Pam knew, without question at that moment she'd follow him anywhere. _

_And lucky for him - she had. _

xoxoxoxoxo

It had seemed like years instead of hours. He felt like he should switch his address he'd spent so much time here.

His mother had left; wanting to go back to the house to make sure everything was ready, for whenever they released Pam and the baby. Her mother had followed shortly after, hugging him tightly and whispering, "She's so lucky to have you." before letting him go.

And now he was alone, sitting beside her, his hand in hers, her face still so ashen she didn't even look like herself. He wanted her to look at him; he wanted to make her laugh, to see her smiling with her cheeks flushed pink.

He squeezed her hand, once, then twice. He waited to see if she'd squeeze it back. There was neither a tremor, nor tremble.

She was so far under it was eerie. Jim ran his thumb over her palm, soothing himself more than her at the moment.

She had this habit of sighing in her sleep. Sometimes at night he'd wait, lie very still until he heard it. He'd come to know it was a sure sign she was dreaming.

But there were no sighs, no sounds, and no laughter. Just a faint beeping and the drone of a television set that someone had turned on, he couldn't remember who.

His eyelids felt as if they were weighted down they were so heavy. He decided he should just rest them for a bit. It would be okay if he closed them for just a couple of seconds.

It'd be okay - just for a while.

He yawned loudly as he pulled his chair closer. He kept tight hold of her hand, laid his head down and joined her in sleep.


	5. Chapter 5

**_Sweet Dreams_**

She feels as if she's forgotten something.

She can't tell where she is. It's dark and so quiet, but there's an insistent, nagging feeling that she's missed something very important.

Pam tries to open her eyes, but she's too tired. The effort of lifting her eyelids seems too much at the moment. She decides not to fight it. She'll just stay still and sleep for a little while longer.

She's worried she might oversleep but knows Jim won't let her. She knows he's like her own personal alarm clock. It had always been quite annoying to her actually, the way he was so chipper, so eager to meet the day. She was convinced he'd never mastered the art of slowly transitioning from slumber to wakefulness. She's always trying to get him to be a little lazier. He's forever bounding out of bed before her eyes even open.

_Jim. Jim in bed. Jim in bed with her. Pam was sure that nothing in the world was better than waking up with him right next to her._

She sifts through her memories, latches on one she's particularlyfond of.

With those thoughts filling her head a smile tugs at her lips as she sighs - and starts to dream.

xoxoxoxoxoxoxo

_It looked like a tornado had hit their room. Sheets are tangled, shoes cast off into far corners, and various items of clothing are hanging from the furniture. _

_Pam sat on the floor with her back against the footboard grinning madly._

_"That shirt - looks great - on you." He whispered, kissing her neck between phrases._

_She flapped her hands in front of her, the sleeves seeming to swallow them whole. "You think?"_

_"Mmm hmm. I also think." He hands began to toy with the buttons, expertly slipping two open before she can catch his hand in hers. "It also looks quite good on the floor."_

_"Stop it." She weakly protested, laughing as she turned her face towards his._

_She kissed him deeply, sighed as his hands resumed their task. "You're trying to kill me aren't you?" Despite her choice of words she nearly purred as his fingers glided over her skin, followed quickly by his mouth._

_Her muscles became lax as she slid, as if boneless to the floor._

_He moved over her, effectively pinned her down as one of his knees nudged its way between her own. "Never..." He whispered against her skin, his lips moving slowly, patiently downward. "Ever…"_

_"JIM." As he lazily made his way her eyes fluttered closed and she could swear she saw stars._

_And then as she shifted to give him better access, she actually did._

_  
Her head rapped sharply against the end of the bed. "Ow!"_

_His laughter bounced off the curve of her hip. _

_"Not funny." She threaded her fingers through his hair and tugged none too gently._

_"Ow!" He laughed louder as he rested his chin on her stomach._

_"Serves you right." She pouted as he pushed himself up. _

_Pam sat upright, her hand rubbing at the knot that was quickly forming on the back of her head._

_"I'm sorry." He bit his bottom lip to keep from laughing. "C'mon. Let me look at it."_

_She frowned at him and scrambled further away. _

_He followed her, his fingers gently running through her hair. "Ooo. Ouch." He winced when he felt the bump there. "I think you're concussed."_

_"Is that your expert opinion?" She grumbled as he started laughing again. _

_"Hey. I think I know something about concussions. Remember Dwight?"_

_She threw daggers at him with her eyes. "Yes. I remember. And you may want to move away from me or I might just puke on you."_

_"And then start to stare off into space, switch personalities." He laughed louder._

_"That really hurt." She rubbed her head again as she pouted. "And you're not funny."_

_He moved closer, picked her hand off her head and placed a soft kiss where it had just laid. "I'm sorry. What can I do to make it better?"_

_She couldn't believe she was complaining when she thought about the circumstances that had caused her to bump her head. _

_Still it was always fun to tease him. It seemed to always work out in her favor in the end. _

_She stared back at him, feigning annoyance. "Quit laughing and get me some ice." _

_"OK. Will do." Jim said as he bent down, tugged a sheet from the floor and wrapped it around his waist. _

_"Don't do that on my account." She tried to suppress her laughter as she watched him._

_"I know it's…" He walked next to the nightstand and used his foot to turn over the clock that had fallen to the floor. "…three a.m. but I'm not going out there without **anything** on."_

_He went to the dresser and picked up an ice bucket as Pam shrugged. "Suit yourself."_

_Thankful that the ice machine was right outside their room, Jim filled the bucket and then quickly moved back to the door. _

_He knocked gently. "Pam?"_

_"Who is it?" She asked in a sing-song-y voice._

_He shifted and moved to hitch up the sheet. "Pam. C'mon. Open up."_

_"My mother told me never to open the door to strangers." She replied sweetly._

_"PAM." He hissed through clenched teeth. "Let me in." His eyes flew opened wide as he heard the elevator ding. _

_"Please go away before I have to call hotel security." She said, her voice quivering. "I told you. I can't pay you. You should have told me when I hired you that it would be eighty dollars an hour!"_

_She took a deep breath to regain her composure. It was extremely difficult especially when she heard him say, "Hey. How's it going?" to whoever had come off the elevator._

_"Aww. Poor guy! Good luck!" She heard someone call back to him as they made their way down the hall._

_Embarrassed beyond belief and sure he was now crimson from head to toe, Jim laid his forehead on the door and begged. "Pam. Seriously. Game's over. Let me in."_

_"I don't know if I can even remember **how** to open the door." She said with a giggle. "I'm severely concussed."_

_"PAM!" He knocked again. "Enough."_

_He jiggled the door handle desperately, nearly falling head first into the room when she finally opened it. _

_She stood there barefooted, clutching the shirt closed with one hand, the other covering her mouth as she laughed uncontrollably. Her cheeks were pink, her hair curling wildly around her face. _

_Despite how irresistible she looked he set the ice bucket down with a bang. _

_His eyes were murderous as he glared at her. "**SO** NOT FUNNY."_

_"Who are you and what are you doing in my room?" She blinked up at him with a face full of innocence._

_"NOT. FUNNY." He took a step towards her. She sidestepped him and ran to the other side of the bed._

_"My husband will be here any minute." She brought a hand to her mouth and nibbled on her nails worriedly. "Wait? Am I even married?"_

_"If you are it may not be for long." He threatened. "If there were ever grounds for divorce…"_

_"Jim?" She blinked, as if suddenly remembering. " Jim? Is that you?"_

_"OK. That's it." He took two strides, crossed the room and lunged. "You'd better watch out. You are **so** going to get it now."_

_She squealed as he snagged her waist, lifted her up and threw her in the center of the bed. He loomed over her with a menacing look on his face._

_She sighed as she looked up at him. "Promise?"_

_He didn't reply, simply covered her mouth with his._

_She laughed as he pulled away and gently ran his hands through her hair. He gazed down at her, his face full of concern. "Hold on. Wait a second. Seriously. Is your head OK?"_

_Pam's heart melted as she saw the look in his eyes. Leave it to him to still be concerned even after she'd just tortured him._

_She laid a hand on his cheek and nodded. "Don't be silly. I'm fine." She promised as she pulled him back towards her. _

_"Happy Second Anniversary." She whispered as his lips touched hers again._

_He pulled away slightly and grinned, his eyes twinkling. "Oh. Yes. It certainly will be."_

xoxoxoxoxoxoxo

She feels as if she's walking through a fog. As if mist is swirling around her and she's lost for a second. She can't see more than two feet in front of her face.

The fog slowly lifts and she begins to remember. How she'd nudged him in the middle of the night, watched him scurry around, grabbing an empty suitcase and then pulling out of the driveway before she could even get in the car.

She remembers laying a hand on his knee at an intersection, squeezing gently as she implored him to calm down and drive slowly.

She remembers him kissing her softly and sweetly as they waited near the nurses station for them to bring her to a room.

She remembers him holding her hand, telling her to breathe, rubbing her back and feeding her ice chips.

She remembers yelling at him in return. Telling him he owed her and she remembers how he just stood there and smiled, which had seemed to infuriate her more.

Then she remembers hushed voices, a sound so loud and insistent it hurt her ears - like a siren. She remembers a crash and his hand being torn from hers even as she cried his name.

And then all she remembers is darkness.

Her eyes open and she gasps. Without even realizing it her hand squeezing his so hard that it startles him awake.

"Pam?"

She can't find her voice, can barely see him now through her tears.

"Oh. Pam." He whispers as he leans forward, brushing a thumb across her cheek.

"Where?" She finally manages. Her throat is so dry it comes out like a croak.

"The hospital." He replies, still clutching her hand in his. "Shh. It's OK. It's all over now." He brings a glass of water to her mouth and she roots for the straw, taking a long sip.

She's half asleep, but knows something's changed. As he moves the glass away she sobs and shakes her head. "Oh no. Jim. _Baby_." She shuts her eyes, braces herself for the worst.

She thinks she hears him laugh as he brings her hand to his lips, kisses it gently. "Oh that's right. That's why we came here. The baby." His voice sounds dreamlike and far away.

She's almost sure she's gone under again when she hears him add. "Yeah. Wait till you see her. She's beautiful."

Pam opens her eyes, doesn't dare hope as she stammers. "S-s-she?"

"Yeah. She. Is. Beautiful." He shifts closer, resting his chin on their joined hands before kissing hers again. "Just like her mother."

"She's OK?" She asks, her voice trembling. "You're sure?"

"Oh yeah. I'm sure." Jim moves his face a breath away from hers as he nods back at her. He kisses her softly as he replies. "She's absolutely perfect."


	6. Chapter 6

_**What's in a name?**_

Jim stands behind her and rests a hand on each of her hips. He wants to wrap his arms around her and hold her tight the way she keeps wincing every time she moves he's being careful not to hurt her.

His eyes are still misting over. All he can remember is the way Pam looked when she first saw the baby. He can feel her trembling with nerves as he holds her. Five more minutes and they'll get to meet face to face.

"She's so beautiful and oh my God. She's so tiny." Pam whispers.

"She is." He agrees as he presses a kiss to the top of her head, resting his chin there.

"You're going to hold this over me aren't you?" Pam elbows him in the ribs gently. "The fact that you got to see her first."

"Never." He smiles so widely she can almost feel it.

When the doctor had come into Pam's room empty handed they'd both panicked. Pam's heart pounded so loudly in her ears she'd only heard every other word.

_Jaundiced. Premature. Phototherapy._

It had scared her to death, until the doctor reassured them that she'd be fine, that it was common and that they could go and see her soon.

The waiting was torturous but now, as she stands with him staring at the baby all her worries melt away.

All she can see is perfection.

"Look. She's got like little sunglasses." Pam giggles softly as she places her hand on the glass.

"She's already in a tanning bed and she's accessorizing in the nursery. I already know I'm in trouble." Jim laughed back at her and shifted to kiss her temple.

Pam narrowed her eyes and focused. "Why isn't her name on there?"

"Huh?"

She slowly turns in his arms, blinks up at him. "All it says is _Baby Girl Halpert_. The other kids all have their names."

His face falls, looking dejected. "You don't like the name _Baby Girl_? Think of the career she'd have as an R&B artist."

Pam's eyes widen. "You forgot what name we decided on – didn't you?"

"What? Me? No." He gave her a look that said she was crazy. "Of course I remember."

"Then why didn't you tell them?" She replies, not buying it for a minute.

"I…"

"Jim. I can't believe you don't remember." She shakes her head and turns back towards the window.

"Hey. I was a little preoccupied. You were still in surgery when I first saw her you know."

"I know." Pam whispers. Her knees are weak and she's still a bit dizzy so she settles back against him again, reaching for his hand and linking his fingers with hers.

He kisses the top of her head again and sighs, and tries to remember…

_Jim sat on the couch with Pam's feet resting in his lap. Lately she'd been complaining that her feet were swollen so he's taken to rubbing them at the end of the day._

_Pam is hoping it's something that she can get him to continue far after the baby is born. His fingers, she's come to know on **many** levels, are nothing short of magical._

_Sighing Pam rested her head on the arm of the couch, a book propped up against her distended stomach. Right on top of it rested a bowl of olives._

_Usually? Pam hated olives but tonight she was eating them like popcorn. Lately her cravings were nothing short of insane. She seemed to eat mountains of olives. Tortilla chips dipped in mustard. Carrots dipped in peanut butter. _

_He smiled softly as he watched her, so mesmerized he didn't hear her at first._

"_Jim. Are you listening to me?"_

"_Hmm?" He replied, pressing his thumb against the arch of her foot, causing her to sigh and the bowl to bobble a bit. He rushed to catch it before it fell. As he did he got an idea. _

_Gently he placed her feet back on the couch as he stood and moved towards the kitchen._

"_JIM. Pay attention! There's a fifty-fifty chance here and we need to decide." She called after him. "Amanda? Abigail? Caitlin? Emily?"_

_She hears him opening and closing the cupboards. "What are you doing?" _

_He grinned as he walked back into the room with a teacup, a saucer and a wineglass._

"_Just an experiment." He gives her a huge smile and settles back down next to her. "And I am paying attention. Names. Girls. Run down the short list."_

_She has no idea what the hell he's talking about as she turns another page. She feels him place something on her belly. She looks over the top of her book and sees the teacup resting squarely in the middle of her stomach. He sticks out his tongue a bit, the way he does when he's really concentrating and then balances the saucer on top of it. _

_She sighs at him, exasperated and prays she's carrying a girl. Having another male in the house with Jim's ingenuity might just kill her. _

"_Jim. That is my good china." _

"_I know. Don't worry." He grins back at her. "Pam, seriously. It's amazing what you can do. You could be in the circus or something."_

_He places the wineglass atop the saucer. _

_Her eyes widen as she watches him. "And **my** crystal? JIM!"_

_Annoyed, she lies very still and waits for him to dismantle the tower. Someone, however, is not quite as patient. The baby moves and causes his little experiment to topple. _

_Lucky for Jim his fingers are nimble. He manages to keep everything from crashing to the floor._

"_Wow. That was weird." Jim laughed as he placed the items on the coffee table._

"_No." Pam disagreed, placing a hand protectively over her belly. "That was your child saying 'Quit treating my mother like a sideshow freak and name me already.'" _

_She looks at him, still annoyed but it vanishes quickly as he rested his hand there, rubbing a circle over it absently. He bends his head to place a kiss where his hand just laid._

_She was getting more and more frustrated. "Gosh. Jim. Why is this so hard?"_

_He chuckled against her stomach. "**That's** what she said."_

_She glared at him. "Seriously. Jim. We're naming our firstborn. A little decorum might be in order."_

"_You're right. Let me see." He sits up straight and takes the book from her. He looks up Pamela and his eyes widen in surprise. "Hey. Your name means…sweetness or honey."_

"_I know." She gives him a look of warning. __She can see the words on the tip of his tongue as she adds for good measure. "You'd better watch it."_

"_Hey. I was not going to say that. I was going to say you are absolutely perfectly named." He leans over, with some difficulty due to her condition, and presses a kiss to her lips. _

"_Oh just so know your name means 'one who supplants'." She laughed back at him._

"_What the hell does that mean?" He looked confused._

"_You tell me. It's your name." She laughed back at him._

_He keeps flipping through the pages and then closes the book and gazes over at her. "Pam, honestly. I'm happy with whatever you choose."_

"_Really?" She asked hopefully._

"_Really." He replied._

"_OK, then. I like this one." She took the book and rifled through pointing at a name and nervously nibbling on her bottom lip._

_He read the name and the meaning that corresponded to it, looked over and met her gaze. His whole face filled with a smile. _

"_I love it." He whispered. "That's perfect."_

xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo

"Favor or blessing." He said softly as he watched Pam sitting in the rocker cooing to their daughter as she held her close. There was a moment when he'd thought he'd never see the day.

He was so glad he had been wrong.

"What?" She hardly heard him. She was incredibly distracted at the moment.

"Her name. That's what it means." He sank to his kneels next to the chair, running his finger gently over the baby's cheek. "Favor or blessing."

She shifts her gaze to his - smiling widely. "You remember."

"Now I do." He nods back at her. "It's perfect."

"It is." She whispers as she places a kiss on her forehead. "Oh God. But she still needs a middle name though."

"Hmm. How about…_Danger_?" He said softly as he presses a kiss to her temple.

"Jim. Why didn't I think of that? That's simply beautiful." She laughed as she looked up at him again. "What do you think huh?" She asked their daughter, her voice low and soothing. "Do you want to be Grace _Danger_ Halpert?"

Jim likes the idea even better the more he thinks about it. "I think it's perfect - it's like a built in warning. When she gets to high school it'll keep those boys from getting any bright ideas."

Pam rolls her eyes. "Don't worry sweetheart." She promises her daughter. "I'll keep him in line."

"Seriously." He chuckles back at her and has a sudden epiphany. "Here's an idea. We could use your name." He runs a hand over his daughter's hair, wondering if one day it'd grow curly. "Since – you know - she is a piece of both of us."

When he said things like that it just reassured her, for the millionth time over, that choosing him was the best decision she'd ever made.

"Grace Beesly Halpert." Pam pondered for a second and though she'd been thinking of something more like Anne or Elizabeth she found the sound of their names together made her smile. "Not too bad."

"How 'bout it Gracie?" Jim asks and watches as her hand reaches out and latches onto his finger, holding on tight.

Pam can't believe it. She falls more in love with the two of them every second. And look. He's already given her a nickname. Could he get any cuter?

She beamed over at Jim as she agreed. "I think she likes it. I think…it's perfect." She gazed down at Grace again and sighed contentedly.

Watching them together, Jim's heart quite simply overflows. Taking it all in he nods and smiles. "Yes. It certainly is."


	7. Chapter 7

_**Revelations**_

They've settled into a kind of routine. To Jim's great relief both she and Grace had seemed to recover quickly, though it seemed to take a while for Pam to get off her hormonal roller coaster. There were still times he had to stop and think, afraid that whatever came out of his mouth would send her into a rage, or make her erupt into tears.

They weren't entirely sure they weren't screwing the baby up beyond belief but they were both confident they were doing their best.

At least that's what they told themselves.

He remembers earlier in the evening, how he's stumbled in on them and was awed by the sight.

Forget TV or video games. Watching them has become his favorite pastime.

_He stands at the doorway of their bedroom. Pam was holding Grace and singing, her voice so off key it's adorable._

_She sensed him there and stopped swaying for a moment. She grinned up at him and wrinkled her nose. "Lullabies are kinda creepy."_

_Jim nods in agreement. "Yeah you know the whole putting a cradle in a tree and having it fall down thing? Doesn't seem all that comforting."_

_"I know. And the one my mother used to sing me - about the father going out to kill a rabbit so that the mother can wrap its skin around the baby?" Pam shivers. "That's totally gross."_

_"So. If we've ruled out falling cradles and rabbit buntings what are you singing to her?" He asks as he moves to sit on the edge of the bed._

_"You mean you couldn't tell?" She blushes a bit, suddenly embarrassed. "It's My Girl."_

_"Nothing wrong with a little Motown." Jim smiles adoringly._

_Pam face lights up as she smiles back. "No there isn't_."

It's two in the morning and he wakes out of a sound sleep, realizing she's not beside him. A quick glance around the room tells Jim she's fallen asleep in the rocking chair. He tiptoes over, picks Grace up and hushes her when she cries weakly. He lays her gently in her crib and presses a kiss to her forehead.

He moves back to the chair and lifts Pam in his arms, carrying her in much the same way he'd just carried his daughter.

"Tired." She mumbles against his neck.

"I know." He nods as he tucks her in, lightly kissing her temple.

He steps back and looks from his child to his wife and it's then that he knows.

He knows now exactly when he fell in love.

It **_was_** on the day she'd first met him...

…And when she smiled as he teased her about her yogurt.

…And when she'd paid attention to the kind of jellybeans he liked

…And when she'd let him take her through the drive-through for dinner

…And when she'd called him from the warehouse as Dwight hid in a cardboard box

…And when she'd told him his future was with Angela in Antarctica

…And when she'd fallen asleep on his shoulder in the conference room

…And when she'd had too many margaritas, kissed him and then slid off a barstool

…And when she'd shared grilled cheese sandwiches with him up on the roof

…And when she'd made fake announcements on the drug store's PA system

…And when she'd taken all his money in poker

…And when she'd told him she'd made a mistake and that she was scared she was too late

…And when she'd kissed him senseless right after she let him slide the ring on her finger

…And when she'd locked him out of the hotel room wearing only a sheet

…And when he'd felt like he'd been torn in two as they wheeled her into surgery

…And when she'd given him the greatest gift he'd ever received in his life.

As he crawls into bed beside her he knows for certain. He knows now that there wasn't one precise moment. It was something that he'd just always intrinsically known.

They are two halves of a whole - two sides of the same coin. Two people who just happened to work grow up in the same town but not meet until they'd both wound up in the same wacky office.

It was fate - destiny.

It sounds corny and clichéd but he doesn't care.

Pam shifts in her sleep, snuggling against him.

Though there were times he thought it would never happen he knows now for sure.

He wouldn't have believed it if you'd told him before but he knows now that there was never a chance that things wouldn't have ended up the way they did.

He pulls her closer and places a kiss on her hair, breathing her in.

He knows now that it had never been a matter of why or how.

It had only been a matter of _when_.


End file.
